10 Soulful Gift Ideas for Teacher Appreciation Day

Being a teacher is a challenging and too often thankless job that has one of the biggest impacts on our society. Let’s take a moment on Teacher Appreciation Day to thank the kind-hearted people who continue to uphold higher ideals of society by passing on education. For those of us who have had a teacher who really helped us see our potential, we know that we wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for that person’s care and nurturing intentions.

As we reflect on the importance of teachers in our society, let’s see how our teacher gifts can lift their spirits, help them see how much of a difference they make, and inspire them for years to come. Today, we have some creative teacher gift ideas that are both practical and inspirational (as well as budget-friendly!) for your most treasured mentor. We know that teachers are rarely compensated fairly for the many hours they put in outside of work, and if they were in it for the money they would have chosen a different job.

It’s our time to show our appreciation with these gifts for teachers that show their efforts mean the world to us and our community.

10 Soulful Teacher Gift Ideas:

1. Teacher Survival Kit

Teachers often have a really jam-packed schedule, especially if they are parents. Students often have a small budget but you can still show your appreciation with a practical teacher survival kit. It will have those things a teacher needs last minute but doesn’t have time to get. There are ready-made teacher kits available to purchase, or DIY a unique one of your own. The contents contain a variety of things that can help their day go smoothly such as highlighters, Advil, band-aids, snacks, and of course coffee.

2. Personalized Item with Class Photo

You can use your smartphone to snap a group photo or a few candids to print on a shirt for your teacher. This shirt may peak out from their closet on a day when they need some inspiration to deal with a long day, and even if it’s not their personal style, the gesture will still put a smile on their face. You can also opt for a sweatshirt or tote bag if you think it’s more their vibe.

3. Potted Flowers/Plants

While bouquets of flowers are nice, they are temporary. To represent the longevity of what a teacher provides their students which is a foundation for life, you can get them potted flowers or a plant for the classroom. Even a small terrarium full of succulents would be a wonderful addition to your teacher’s desk. Plants help improve air quality and add a refreshing decorative touch to even the smallest of classrooms or offices. This way they can be reminded of the seeds they are planting and the value their work has every day when they see this plant. You can make a custom sign to stick in the plant that thanks them for being a wonderful teacher.

4. Gift Cards for Supplies

Teachers often end up purchasing supplies from their own paycheck, and we know that their paychecks are all ready quite low. Getting them a gift card to Office Depot, Staples, Target, or Amazon can help take an added expense off their plate. Gift cards to coffee shops also definitely count as school supplies!

Perhaps you can organize with your classmates to each get your teacher a $5-$10 gift card, which could help cover their supply expenses for quite some time! Gift cards are available pretty much anywhere, or grab one online.

5. Bake Them Their Favorite Dessert

One fun way to show teacher appreciation is with delicious treats! Strike up a conversation after class about your favorite dessert and casually ask what theirs is. Look up the recipe and surprise them by baking it for them. Remember, they are at home grading your papers and making lesson plans every week, so dedicating just one evening to show your appreciation will help them feel that the hours they are working into the night are setting you up for success. You can add in a fun note that says “thanks for being such a sweet teacher!” if you want to get extra personal.

6. Daily Inspiration Desk Calendar

Have you ever read a quote right when you needed to hear it? Giving a teacher something positive to look at daily can help them overcome the moments when they are frustrated. This gift gives your teacher an opportunity to share that positivity with the many ears that are listening to them. This is an inexpensive gift that lasts a year (or maybe more!) - but the habit of thinking positively can last a lifetime. Here is a link to a 2020 Daily Inspiration Calendar by Wayne Dyer.

7. Essential Oil Diffuser

This inexpensive gift is great because it can help your teacher and their students feel relaxed and creative in class. When a teacher is able to relax, they can actually enjoy teaching. Gifting them something that can last them for years doesn’t have to cost a lot. You can find a kit with a diffuser and oils on Amazon for $20-$30. This is a gift that has a long-term effect on health and happiness and encourages the habit of relaxation and self-care for stress management. Plus, if your teacher can use it in the classroom, it will create a butterfly effect on the students as well.

8. Teacher Mug

This is another inexpensive gift that is under $10 at this link. Because we all know most teachers appreciate a good cup of coffee or tea, it will remind them daily of your appreciation for their hard work. You can add a bag of coffee or a box of tea for an extra touch if you’d like as well. Think of the smile on their face when they walk around holding this mug every day from a student whose life they changed for the better. Little things do mean a lot!

9. Gift Basket of Healthy Snacks

Go to a local grocery store and get a combination of healthy snacks you think your teacher would like and add a card. These could be the snacks your teacher keeps in their desk for when they are really hungry or for when they need a reminder that they are making a difference. You could include dried fruit, protein bars, electrolyte drinks, coconut water, trail mix, dark chocolate, crackers and jam, or even a selection of teas. Some grocery stores like Whole Foods offer gift baskets and will wrap them for a small fee. Work within your budget and just be creative. You could even get a few other students to pitch in to keep costs down.

10. A Video Montage of Thank You’s from Students

Finally, if you’re a tech savvy person and maybe don’t have much extra cash laying around, consider using your smartphone to combine a few short video clips of your fellow students saying thank you for how the class has changed their life. This doesn’t take a lot of time because students can send you their video from their phones for you to compile. You can easily create a video in iMovie or another free video editing software. Imagine your teacher’s face when they receive a personalized video made by their students for them. You can even add an uplifting song in the background and get creative with editing.

Concluding Thoughts…

Reading this list may have given you some of your own ideas for gifts for teachers or helped you see how a small gesture could really make a difference in someone’s life. Teachers often forgo living a luxurious lifestyle because they see the value of education and want future generations to have the best opportunities to be successful. The love they give day in and day out is something we can all learn from. They are the backbone of our societies and we can appreciate them every day by saying thank you and treating them with respect and kindness.

Even a card expressing your gratitude which you can make yourself or get from a dollar store could mean a lot to them. You never know how hard their life may be, what they may be going through, or how they were treated in their life. As we show our appreciation with teachers gift, we open up a deeper bond with our teacher that energizes them to be able to teach with more passion, more joy, and affect more positive change in the world.

Related Article: 10 Random Acts of Kindness You Can Do Today